Summer classical music festivals beyond the main stages

As summer unfolds, Austria offers a rich tapestry of classical music festivals, with a particular focus on hidden gems and unique experiences beyond the spotlight of major venues like Salzburg or Grafenegg. This selection aims to guide readers toward festivals that promise exceptional artistic merit and still have tickets available, steering clear of grand opera requiring indoor settings.

The Schubertiade, a long-standing festival, continues to uphold its reputation for consistently high quality. It presents a compelling mix of established artists, such as Elisabeth Leonskaja and Marc-André Hamelin, alongside promising young talents. The festival also delves into original ensemble interpretations and showcases rare pieces, including the premiere version of Brahms's Trio in B major, alongside intimate Lied recitals featuring some of today's finest voices.

In Bregenz, the festival offers more than just Verdi's 'La Traviata' on the lake and Janáček's 'Brouček' as an indoor opera. A significant draw is 'Passion of the Common Man,' a secular oratorio exploring 21st-century human suffering, presented in a soundscape blending orchestra and electronics by Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason. This production is staged by Netia Jones and features the enduringly expressive mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, even in her 70s.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music is marking the occasion with a spectacular baroque opera, 'Il pomo d’oro.' Originally commissioned for the wedding of Emperor Leopold I, this work is renowned as one of opera history's most opulent representations, featuring 47 characters, 67 scenes, 24 distinct sets, and an eight-hour duration. The music is primarily by court composer Antonio Cesti, with contributions from Leopold I himself and ballet music by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer.